What is the minimum, legal size for a dwelling in Spain? | Final part |

On the last article I did explained the different regulations which emanated from the many Spanish regional communities on the minimum standards accepted
for a minimum size house and how we still use in some regions a law from 1944 such as the Murcia region.

We embarked on describing a minimum size house in the Valencia region using its Order of December the 7th of 2009 from the Ministry of Environment,
Water, Urbanism and Housing which approves the conditions of quality design and development.

In that article we also specified the minimum sizes for each room and the minimum size for a dwelling which happens to be 30 m2 of net area or 24m2 if it is an
apartment. By net area I mean the floor area excluding external and internal walls, in other words the actual area that you can walk on.

Even sanitary ware must have a minimum acceptable size, for instance the minimum width accepted for hand basins, wc, bathtub and shower is 70cm, for the depth
it is accepted the depth provided by the manufacturer.

There are minimum usable spaces (in front of these sanitary ware) which we must comply with which must be free of obstacles, for instance we must have 70cm
usable space in front of a hand basin, toilet and bidet and 60cm in front of the shower plate and bathtub.

What about the laundry area?

Even the laundry area needs to be of a minimum size although this zone could be incorporated into the kitchen or bathroom if there isn’t a zone with exclusive
dedication for this purpose. The washing machine and tumble dryer should have a width of 60cm although the dryer can be located on top of the washing machine or vice versa. There must be a
washing basin and this sanitary ware must be at least 45cm wide. The depth area for the aforementioned apparatus is of 60 cm. In front of this equipment you must have at least 60cm of working
space.

Vertical and horizontal circulation spaces.

All dwellings must have an entrance opening with a minimum width of 80cm and 2m high and the house should have at least one other opening (which could be a
window) with a minimum width of 90cm wide with a total are of 1.50m2. This space is to be able to carry in large pieces of furniture.

The minimum width for corridors are 90 cm although it will be acceptable if narrows up to 80cm due to some structural element for a maximum length of
60cm.

For staircases the minimum height is 2.20m, although it will be acceptable height of up to 2m due to some structural element for a maximum of 25% of the total
area of the staircase.

The landings must have a minimum width equal to its length with a minimum length of 70 cm, measured at the centre line of the stairs.

In buildings of more than one dwelling which have an itinerary for the disable, this itinerary must prolong, inside the house, to a bedroom and also to a room
for personal hygiene. All door openings in this itinerary must have minimum widths of 80cm.

Storage and equipment

Every house will have storage space for clothes and belongings which will not be less than 0.80 m3 per user with a minimum depth of 55 cm,
which can take the form of inbuilt wardrobes, or a furniture wardrobe, or both.

Drying of linen and bedding

For drying linen we may choose one of the following solutions:

Natural drying system in an outdoor space such as an enclosed patio o terrace.

A natural drying system on an exterior facade or interior of the building but must have protected the views from the street with some sort of screens.

In any case the drying systems must not interfere with the necessary openings for ventilation and lighting for the rest of the house.

Minimum Equipment

In all houses, the areas stated below, will have at least the following minimum equipment:

Kitchen: A sink with hot and cold water supply and drainage with water tap.

Space for a dishwasher, a cooker, oven and a fridge with electrical connection. Space for cooking. Minimum bench space of 2.50m length, including the sink and
cooking area.

Finishes of surfaces

The wet rooms (kitchen, bathroom and toilet) shall be lined with washable material and be waterproof to a minimum height of 2.00 m. The coating on the cooking
area will also require being fireproof.

If kitchens are located in an enclosure where other tasks are carried out, this space must also have all walls up to a minimum height of 2.00 m, finished off
with washable material and be waterproof to a minimum height of 2.00m. The material must be also incombustible.